Fox Wind
by Rinkitsune
Summary: While Inuyasha and Kagome are in the future running errands, strange things happen. Shippou is lost in the woods and finds another fox demon; meanwhile an injured Sango must retrieve her stolen hiraikotsu with the help of Miroku.
1. The Fox's Chase and the Monk's Hand

I don't own any of these characters, but you already knew that, so let's just get to the story! More chapters coming soon!

"INUYASHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?! KAGOME? SANGO? MIROKU? ANYBODY?"

A dejected-looking Shippou sat down at the base of one of the many trees in the forest where he was wandering through. A few small tears welled up in his large green eyes when he saw that the golden sun was setting and his friends were still nowhere to be found.

"Night is getting close. I guess I'll just have to set up camp for tonight and find them tomorrow." He started picking up sticks to make a shelter when he saw silver hair on the ground.

"Was Inuyasha here?" He thought for a second, but then realized it was illogical- Inuyasha went to the future three days ago with Kagome to get basic supplies, so he wasn't anywhere near. But still, Shippou was curious so he picked up the hair and found it was a-

"HEY! PUT ME DOWN!" yelled the small fox demon in Shippou's hand. Startled, Shippou quickly dropped her and she hurriedly ran off.

"Wait up! Stay!!" Shippou called after her, knocking over the sticks that he had been working with, but she was long gone. He started running after the silver glint in the distance. As he was catching up, he noticed that she had a jar of jewel shards swinging from her hair ribbon. Her long silver hair was flying in the wind and from a distance she looked like a miniature Inuyasha. She threw a small toy in front of her and it became this large stunningly beautiful phoenix, which she hopped onto.

"Well, two can play at this game." muttered Shippou as he threw his horse toy and chased after her. Higher and higher she soared into the air, with Shippou in hot pursuit. She obviously was trying to shake him off her trail as she swerved back and forth until finally, it appeared that she was slowing down. Then, she dove off of her phoenix and down into the lake below. Immediately, Shippou threw a top after her, but she cast it away with her Fox Wind. She swam under the water as Shippou caught her phoenix (now returned to it's toy state) and rode his horse to the water.

"She has to surface someday." He thought, as he obliviously sat on his horse. Behind him, an aquamarine wave started growing larger and larger until it crashed and washed him, unconscious, to shore.

Miroku was in a small cottage by the edge of the forest, meditating, when he heard fervent rapping at the door. He snapped out of his trance and welcomed the visitor in. An exhausted and very wounded Sango collapsed in his doorway.

"Sango, are you all right?"

"Shippou.... He's gone..."

"What happened? Sango?"

She fainted onto his lap, and he brought her to a bed. He went over to Kagome's medicine case, which she had left in case of trouble, and pulled out bandages and antibiotic. He wrapped up the cuts on her arm, and then turned her over. A jagged cut went all the way down her back.

"Now this is a job I won't mind!" he commented to himself, as he undressed her upper body to get to the wound. He started rubbing the antibiotic on her shoulders and back, and then her rear end. She suddenly woke up, and by reflex, hit him hard across the face.

"What are you doing, you perverted monk?"

"I was, uh, bandaging your wounds."

She felt her pain again and fell back onto the bed, this time conscious. In modesty, she quickly pulled the covers over her bandaged, but somewhat exposed body.

"Thank you, houshi-sama."

"It was my pleasure." A perverted smirk crossed the monk's face. Sango glared at him.

"I just bet it was." She was about to roll over and go back to sleep when Miroku softly asked-

"What were you telling me about Shippou?"

"Oh, yes." She sat up again, tightly clutching the covers. "Well, since Inuyasha and Kagome are in the future, we needed something to cook. We had caught this rabbit when this large fox-demon came and started attacking us for the food that we had collected. He ate our rabbit whole and then started talking about how we 'stole his beautiful daughter'. I asked if it was the rabbit, but he responded that no, it was his fox demon, Kikura."

"Beautiful daughter, huh?"

"This wouldn't be your doing, would it, lech?"

"You know me- I never steal, just feel. But I haven't touched or even seen a fox-demon lately."

"Then I guess he wasn't making any sense. But he picked up Shippou and threw him deep into the woods! And he left me unarmed. When I tried to scurry in the direction of Shippou, he grabbed my hiraikotsu and ran off!"

"That's horrible. We have to go after him. But in your condition, what can you do?"

"I'll fight. I have to. My hiraikotsu is more than just a weapon; it has all of my memories, memories of sparring with Kohaku, training with Father, of my people and my times with you and Inuyasha. And anyways, I still have my katana. It should be in Kagome's backpack... Oh no! She's in the future and neither of us can get to her!"

"I could find you a sword. But you are too injured to battle."

"I couldn't fight with a sword that wasn't my own anyways - I'd lose."

"I'll help you. You won't lose, because I'll protect you. But don't worry about it. Just sleep- we'll start tomorrow morning."

"Th-thank you, houshi-sama", and she fell asleep.

Miroku went to the other bed and he too slowly drifted into sleep, waiting for morning and praying for both Sango and Shippou to be healthy and safe.


	2. The Elusive Fox Returns and Death at the...

As Shippou regained consciousness, he became aware that he was being shaken fervently by his tail. He opened his eyes just slightly and saw that it was dark, and so concluded that it was still the same night of his attack.

"Sango? Is that you?" He looked up at the figure above him.

"Oh, thank goodness you're alive! I thought I had hurt you badly! I was afraid that.... Who's Sango?"

"A better question- who are you?"

"Oh! I'm Kikura- a fox demoness, born of Toumuyo-sama. I never met my mother, so there isn't much to say about her. Except I'm sure she was a fox-demon. I'm a pureblood. Also, Kikura is kinda long- so if you want, you can shorten it to Kiko or Kichan, if you want."

"I am a pureblood fox demon as well! My name is Shippou. Now would you mind please putting me down?"

Kiko dropped Shippou and he fell from her hand with a soft thud. He landed on is arm which bent in an awkward direction. Shippou let out a soft "itai..." and Kiko moved Shippou into a more comfortable position.

"Now, what should we do about your arm? And your leg looks hurt too!"

"We have to find Sango and Miroku, that's what. They are my friends and they are outside of the forest."

"Speaking of that, why were you in the forest at all?"

"My other friends, Inuyasha and Kagome are away, and she usually cooks, so we needed food to eat. So, Sango and I were hunting when we caught this rabbit. Then, this large fox came, stole our rabbit, and threw me into the woods, muttering."

"Another fox? That's strange!"

"I know- but it happened. Oh, the trouble of being so small."

"You're taller than me by a good two inches!"

"Yes, but you can better defend yourself."

Shippou tried to push himself into a standing position with his good arm, but his hurt leg collapsed. He suddenly had a better idea.

"You have jewel shards, do you not?"

Kiko tugged at her hair defensively.

"Why?"

"We have to get to Kagome's time and tell her that I'm hurt and that we lost Sango and Miroku."

"Her time?"

"No time to explain- do you know how to get to the old well?"

"I think so..."

Kiko reached into her pocket to instinctively find her phoenix.

"Where did it go? My phoenix is missing!"

"I saved it when you dove into the water. Here it is."

Palm outstretched with phoenix inside, he turned over the small toy. An elated look on Kiko's face, she leaned over to hug Shippou. Her cheek brushed against Shippou's and she whispered softly into his ear-

"I don't know what I would do without you, Shippou. Thank you"

They began to fly upon the wings of the gilded phoenix as the sun began to rise in the east.

Miroku woke early, partially because he liked to meditate in mornings, partially because he wanted to get a head start on finding a new sword for Sango. He walked outside of his small and magically protected cottage and saw a horrible sight. Directly outside of his doorstep lay the bleeding body of Kohaku, his own weapon sunken in his back. Kohaku opened his eyes just a little and crawled forward.

"Sango..." he whispered. "San..go..."

Blood was seeping from his eyes, where tears would be, had he not had gashes across his face, blending the tears with the sticky discharge of the wound. His entire body was torn in pieces and it was not hard to see that he was about to die. Miroku ran into the cottage and lifted Sango from her bed. He carried her outside and she awoke in his arms, next to Kohaku. She quickly gasped, before she spoke.

"Kohaku! What happened? Are you going to live, for if not, I will not be able to live knowing that you are dead. Please, Kohaku. Don't die."

"Sango.. Sango.. don't die for me. The fox demon...Sango... he has your weapon. He took my weapon as well and has now killed me with it. I must die now, in your arms. Sango... take my weapon from my back and reclaim hiraikotsu. I love you, Sango. Please don't kill yourself over me... it is my only wish."

"Kohaku; you can live! Don't die! I know you can be healed."

She reached out and held her younger brother in her arms. With one final movement, Kohaku reached behind him and ripped out his sickle and placed it in Sango's hand. Blood rose to the surface of his wound and poured out onto Sango's lap.

"Sango..."

His eyes fluttered shut and within seconds, his soul had left his body. Miroku rubbed her shoulder and she turned to him with a mournful look in her eye. She reached over and fell deeper into his arms. She diverted her eyes back at her brother, still in Miroku's embrace with Kohaku's weapon resting in her hand and winding around the three of them. She started in a whisper, which rose to a scream-

"Kohaku... I must avenge your death!"


	3. Four Adventurers, Stolen by Kouga!

Into the sun the two foxes flew on the wings of the great bird. They chattered about pointless things, like popsicles from Kagome's time and why the sky was blue and the grass was green. Kiko looked up and saw that the sun was almost directly above them.

"Shippou- " she said, shaking the small kitsune who had fallen asleep.

"Shippou- tonight's the full moon, right?"

"I think so."

"We have to land! Now!"

"Why?"

The sun was now fully overhead and the phoenix returned to its toy form. Both Kiko and Shippou plummeted in the sky. Kiko's hair grew shorter and wrapped itself into a ponytail. It then slowly became grayer until it was black. Meanwhile, her claws changed to fingernails and her eyes turned brown.

"Kiko?" called Shippou as they both fell.

"You're a..."

Suddenly, they both were plucked from the air by a fast-moving wolf demon. They were then dropped at the feet of Kouga.

"Well, well, what have we here? Shippou, I know you. Now, who is your friend?"

Kiko quaked before Kouga, and Shippou reassuringly pat her shoulder.

"It'll be ok, Kiko- he might be able to help us!"

"I've heard enough. Put 'em in one of our dungeons for a while." A starry-eyed look came over Kouga's face.

"Oh, Kagome. Will you come rescue them?"

The two foxes were lifted by a member of the pack and taken underground to a small cell.

"I'm scared." Whined the smaller Kiko as she was dropped into the darkness.

After Sango had buried her brother, she called for Miroku-

"Miroku- let's go. We have to defeat that fox-demon."

"Can you fight with your brother's weapon?"

"Before I got my hiraikotsu, I had one of these- I trained with this very one before I gave it to Kohaku. I will avenge his death with his weapon."

"Are you sure? Anyways, you look relatively terrifying with the combination of the weapon and that scowl on your face, so maybe the fox-demon will run away in fear." The monk chucked softly, but was interjected by Sango's rage.

"I am NOT scowling. Move it, monk."

She began to walk into the forest with ambition, as Miroku stood back where he was. He put his hands on his hips and made a grimacing face while mouthing:

"I am NOT scowling!" Just as he was in the middle of his impromptu imitation, Sango turned around and called:

"Houshi-sama! Are you mocking me? Get over here! We have to go!"

He ran to her and apologized with a deep bow, making sure to brush her behind on his way up. The next thing he realized was that he had fallen to the floor and had a large handprint on his face.

"Sango, do you always have to slap me?" questioned the impossibly lascivious monk.

"I wouldn't slap you if your face hadn't been where it shouldn't have been."

"Like that made sense."

"Watch it or you'll get slapped again."

As they kept arguing, they began to pay less and less attention to the forest they were walking through, and it began to get darker and darker as they neared the lair of the fox-demon. Suddenly, they saw a brown tail and chased after it, thinking it was the fox-demon. By the time they realized that it wasn't, it was too late- Kouga turned around and grabbed them both, muttering "now I have two as bait for Kagome." He leapt back to his cave and threw them in a separate dungeon from Shippou and Kiko, both pairs desperately hunting for one another, yet so very close to each other.


	4. Sweet Surrender in the Dark

Shivering in Kouga's dismal dungeon, Kiko thought to herself:

"Why? Why does this always happen to me? Once a month, when there will be a full moon and the sun is highest in the sky, I die. Not exactly death, but the me I know dies. I lose all strength, all courage, all beauty. My life changes completely. Why tonight? I hope Shippou still likes me..."

Sitting next to her in silence, Shippou was also pondering the strange twist of events:

"So she's a half-demon. I wonder if she knows. I doubt it, or she would have told me. Or maybe she's ashamed. There's nothing to be ashamed about. I like her human form too. Wait; did I just think what I thought I just thought in my thoughts? Hmm... but does she like me back? I mean, we just met and all..."

At the very same time, they both blushed a deep red. The first one to break the silence was Kiko.

"Shippou- I'm really sorry. I don't know why this happens, but it does. Every month...."

"Oh- it's really nothing- it's the same way with a friend of mine. But I think I know what your problem is- I think your mother may have been human. That's what happened to Inuyasha."

"I never really met my mother. I heard she was....killed by this dog-demon who looked a bit like me, but with a moon on his forehead. I hate him. I wanted to know my mother, and he took that away from me!"

"Sesshoumaru.... It must have been him."

"Lets kill him together, ok?"

"That sounds great- if we're strong enough."

"I'm really tired, Shippou. Are there beds in here?"

"Just one- you take it."

"I can't- you take it"

The two ended up sharing it, spending the night in a chaste embrace, and they slept until a strange clattering noise spread into their room and their door fell down. An all-too-familiar girl stood in the doorway and beckoned for them to follow.

The two other captives of Kouga weren't treated any better. They too were thrown into a room with hard floors and one bed.

"Sango... I don't know what to do." Said the monk Miroku, looking dejected and weary.

"It's ok- let's wait until morning. I never expected this to happen. Anyways, the day after tomorrow Inuyasha is supposed to come back. We'll definitely be saved then."

"What about the fox-demon?"

"We can't really do anything about that now. Let's sleep."

"What about the bed? There's only one!"

"I guess we have to share it. But Miroku- before we sleep in the same bed, I want to ask you something. Always, in battle, you protect me more than the others. You take care of my wounds. And even when you touch me, it seems a bit more caring than your typical.... Mirokuness. Do you....."

"I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you, Sango-"

He leaned into her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She as well did not object, and placed her arms around his neck. Nearer and nearer their lips grew and soon they were close enough to feel the warmth. Miroku whispered:

"Are you sure about this, Sango? I don't want to go faster than you are ready."

"Thank you, Houshi-sama, but yes. I would like this very much."

"I love you, Sango."

And that very moment, their lips touched and they fell onto the bed. They caressed each other's mouths with their own and eventually they fell asleep, still wrapped around each other.


End file.
